The Survivors
This is the 14th story in author Tiberius64's story series (Klingon64 on FanFiction.net) and the second non-''Ad Astra'' series story to follow that series' conclusion. It does, however, take place in 2038, the same year as Ad Astra 2: Youth and Nostalgia, but is more centered around the next-generation kids and their adventures then even that story. The link to the FanFiction.net version is below: The Survivors Full-Text Story Chapter 1: Database Name:' Adil Yanishev. ''Gender: Male.'' ''Age: 12.'' ''Origin: Caucasian (Turkish-Russian)'' ''Bio: Suffers from Autism. Is beaten by alcoholic father. Mother is deceased. Aspires to be a TerraFleet officer.'' ---- ''Name: Sean Thomson'' ''Gender: Male'' ''Age: 9'' ''Origin: Caucasian (American)'' ''Bio: Suffers from Tourette's Syndrome. Is often neglected by parents, who are both drug addicts. Is often yelled at without warning, physically beaten, and even molested. Aspires to be a politician.'' ---- ''Name: Minh Cheung'' ''Gender: Female'' ''Age: 15'' ''Origin: Asian (Chinese)'' ''Bio: Has stuttering, irrational fear, and anxiety issues. In uncle's custody. Uncle is perfectionistic and impatient with her; an embittered man due to the loss of his wife, he turns to heavy drink. Uncle leaves her home alone for hours at a time with her younger sister, Linh. Aspires to be a dancer.'' ---- ''Name: Linh Cheung'' ''Gender: Female'' ''Age: 10'' ''Origin: Asian (Chinese)'' ''Bio: Younger sister of member Minh Chang. Physically and mentally normal. Suffers from the same abuse/neglect as her older sister. Aspires to be an acrobat.'' ---- ''Name: Annika Jones'' ''Gender: Female'' ''Age: 13'' ''Race/Ethnicity: African-American'' ''Bio: Physically and mentally normal. Has 4 brothers. As the oldest, parents expect her to help watch after them all. Parents are perfectionistic, verbally lewd and abusive, and unfairly distrustful; see her as lazy, unsatisfactory in work ethic, are never satisfied with anything about her, and even tell her she's ugly and unattractive in all ways. Aspires to be a professional basketball player.'' ---- ''Name: Dakota Patterson'' ''Gender: Male'' ''Age: 11'' ''Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian (American)'' ''Bio: Has suffered from anger management problems. Parents have refused to seek professional help. Has violently attempted to resist father in futility. Is beaten by father (a TerraFleet officer). Aspires to work with Flynn-Fletcher research groups.'' ---- ''Name: Jaime Villanueva'' ''Gender: Male'' ''Age: 14'' ''Origin: Hispanic (Mexican descent)'' ''Bio: Was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Is still somewhat mentally retarded. Father is incarcerated for life. Mother verbally and physically abuses him. Aspires to be a singer.'' ---- ''Name: Nana Flores'' ''Gender: Female'' ''Age: 15'' ''Origin: Hispanic (Mexican descent)'' ''Bio: Was born sickly due to drug usage of mother. Both parents in jail (mother for life). Mother has been abusive and neglectful; heartless in action, she has broken her heart many times. In custody of grandparents, who are never satisfied with her. Is sterile due to lack of hormonal homeostasis. Remains sickly. Family looks down on her choice to not be athletic. Hallucinates from time to time. Has dealt with suicidal impulses and has depression. Aspires to be an artist/director.'' ''*Special Notes: FOUNDING AND EXECUTIVE MEMBER.'' ---- '''''CONFIRM FULL SYSTEM ENCRYPTION? Yes FULL SYSTEM ENCRYPTION COMPLETE ---- "Alright, g-guys, we h-have our whole s-system safe now. N-now, l-let's take the oath" said the leader. The youth all raised their right hands, saying "I shall, to the best of my abilities, fight not only for myself, but for all of those forgotten and left to the merciless jaws of abuse. I shall make my mark on this world through all means short of barbarism and brutality. I shall be obedient to the rules of the commander, only defying in the case of abuse of power or in wrongness of executive decision. I am…a Survivor." The leader went over to the main screen and brought up a giant digital map, where blue dots showed on top of a map of the Western Hemisphere. "W-we have grown p-pretty i-impressively over the p-past f-few…ugh!" She gave herself a shot with a hypo in the thigh before continuing "…months. Ah…that's better. We're at our make-or-break point. Now we need to move in on our next targets. I will remind you, these two are not like us and have pretty good lives. These two are the children of one the most famous men in this world…''Phineas Flynn''…a man who brought us to the stars, yet hasn't given enough effort to aid us who still suffer from abusive family members." The small, dimly-lit room got loud with angry rants and raves before the leader fired a phaser pistol into the ceiling. "His children are big-hearted and would be good assets. We must get them on our side here! Those two are vital to our mission: to get their famous dad involved in helping end our pain." The room got loud again, so the leader had to fire her phaser again while everyone went silent. After looking down at her feet for a second, she looked back up, a new fire in her eyes. "Get your ninja suits on…we're going in. Into the transporter room once you're all set… …''lock and load…''" As they headed out, the leader gave out one last command to the computer. "Computer: engage security protocols and lockdown procedures." Chapter 2: Acquisition '' At the Flynn household, 2:20 PM… "We'll be away for a while, kids! Your dad's gotta give an address at the Academy, and I've gotta be there to cheer him on. It starts in…10 minutes. No problem. Honey!" Isabella called from the backyard. "Yes, Izzy?" Phineas called from his room upstairs. "We've gotta use the transporters! It starts in 10 minutes! Have you practiced your address?" "Uh…yes, dear! I'm coming down now!" Phineas went downstairs and met with his wife and kids in the backyard, fully dressed in his TerraFleet dress uniform, the older uniform from the 2020's that they had removed from field use due to impracticality. "Alright, then. Gotta dash. We'll see you later, Chris, Erica. Behave!" After an exchange of hugs and kisses, Phineas brought up the transporters with the voice command "Computer: transporters!" They stepped in, Isabella inputting the coordinates, and the two were beamed away. "So, Erica…what should we do today?" Erica went and sat down under the tree, her brother following more slowly behind. "I dunno. Anything in our project book on your mind?" "Eh…not really…how about a ninja battle with those suits dad invented when he was a kid?" "I guess. I'll get 'em." After putting them on, they both went to video call their friends over. After sending their message out, they both went back outside and waited for them to show up. Within 10 minutes, all 10 of the others showed up, clad in their ninja suits. "So…any arena or anything, guys?" asked Michelle Van Stomm predictably. "Let's holodeck it!" said Jonathan (Irving/Katie's son). "I think I would prefer a more natural setting with actual flora…" began Annie Brown, before being stopped by Victoria Fletcher. "Oh, you and your nature obsession…let's let these two decide." "Well, for the sake of saving time and energy, let's just holodeck it" said Chris. The group gave mixed responses in word and body language before walking over to the holodeck room. They walked in, peering at the spacious black room with its yellow gridlines. After the door shut, Chris asked "So, guys, what kind of arena we want?" "Roman Coliseum!" "Japanese Buddhist temple!" "Starship warp core!" "The moon!" "Ancient T'laran dueling grounds!" "Boxing arena!" In the midst of all of the mixed suggestions, the doorbell beeps sounded off, alerting all to the presence of someone outside. "Come!" said Chris. When the door opened, a group of 8 kids entered, all wearing ninja suits, themselves. They all kneeled in some kind of…reverence…to the great Phineas Flynn's and friends' kids. The leader walked onward, stopping and removing her mask to reveal her 15-year-old face to Chris. She was older than all of Chris and Erica's friends (the oldest, Chris among them, being 12). In nervousness, Chris asked "wh-what do you w-want w-with us…? Wh-who a-are you…?" "At ease, Christopher Flynn…all of you. We intend no harm and apologize for our unexpected arrival's scare to you all. I am Nana Flores, founder and leader of our group – The Survivors." Chris sighed in relief, yet still felt uneasy about this whole thing. " Well, then…Nana…what do you want with us?" "We're part of a group of kids that come from bad homes. We have been beaten, yelled at, neglected, and some of us have serious medical conditions and mental instabilities." At those last words, Nana began to cry, even putting her face in her hands in anguish. Chris felt his compassion impulse kick in and he boldly went to hug her in the most loving way he could. Nana stayed stiff for a while before beginning to embrace him warmly as well. After about a minute, Nana pulled away, sniffling and drying her eyes on her ninja suit. "I'm sorry…I've had the worst life out of any of us…I…founded this group after I ran away…hid myself underground with the technology that your dad made himself…and rescued people I had talked to online and knew in real life…and they helped me rescue others…and there are lots of other groups of us…around the country…" "And all of you had bad lives because of your parents?" "Not all of us were with ''both of our parents…and some with their other family…" Just as she got teary-eyed again, she pulled out a hypo, inserting a liquid cartridge before injecting herself in the neck with it. Chris, Erica, and their friends all looked with shock at what this stranger just did right in front of them. "Forgive me…I'm a sickly and anxious person…my mom… …did drugs while…she was pregnant…with me…and now…you s-s-see wh-what I've become…" She shook her head to prevent herself from crying again. "Can we…talk somewhere…better?" "Computer: bring up Flynn-Fletcher Academy lecture room!" yelled Victoria from the back. The empty room turned itself into a lecturing classroom typical of the Flynn-Fletcher Academy, all kids taking their seats. "Well…not what I had in mind, but…it'll do" said Nana, finding herself on a stage with a large viewer at her control. "So, Chris…Erica…friends…we all come from various backgrounds and settings, but we all share a common grief – abuse by our parents or guardians. We've started other groups of runaways like us around the country in the past several months. We're now at our make-or-break point. The thing is, if we go to authorities for help, they'd put us all into foster care and punish our guardians…or send us back…leaving it to courts to determine our custody…no mass effect on the country, much less the world. What we wanna do is get your dad, the great and famous Phineas Flynn, to speak on our behalf to the world and show that he advocates just treatment of us kids…no matter what our physical and mental status. The world has listened to his grand speeches…and it's made a lot of progress in cleaning up its act in society and law. But still…our homes have been missed by his influence…we've been forgotten…thrown around by our parents…grandparents…uncles and aunts...I know that one man can't solve all the world's problems…but we wanna make the world aware that we kids will not remain silent when we are treated like the scum of the earth by parents and guardians who just have no patience to deal with our conditions!" At that instant, Survivor member Sean Thomson jumped up and said "That's right! We're not gonna take it! We'll tell everyone…!" "Sean!" yelled Nana in a fiercely angered tone, making him sit down in trembling fear. "Sorry about him…he has Tourette's syndrome… can't sit still very easily. And we've all barely started Protandim." "Protandim? We take it at home" said Fred. "Great effects, too" chimed in Xavier. Survivor member Adil Yanishev spoke up, saying "It has been around since 2003…it helps with oxidative stress-caused disease…even skin disorders, and genetic and mental disease. Many of you have probably heard its name or take it now." The kids all gave their mixed responses before Nana continued. "Well, anyway, Chris and Erica Flynn…we need you to get your dad involved in speaking for us…we know we have your compassion…now, we ask for your help. We carry the message…we ask that your dad be the messenger. You two are our only hope…" Chris stood up and asked "may I speak with you in private…Nana?" Nana looked puzzled before answering "by all means." Turning to her followers, she said "I'll be back, all of you. Just give me some time with Chris here." Chris then chimed in, saying "and no sharing of too many life story details, either. I'll explain sometime later." Nana, looking puzzled, walked outside with Chris, who had a grave look on his face. They both walked inside the house, Nana looking around at the nice place the Flynn family had, eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. Chris motioned to the couch with his arm, saying "you can sit down, Nana. Ladies first." Nana got teary-eyed before saying "no one's ever given me…''that'' kind of decency…" "Then I consider it an honor to be the first. Now, there's something I wanna discuss: …my sister, Erica." The whole mood of the living room suddenly got grave… Chapter 3: Serious Topics "Nana…this whole idea seriously bothers me." "Why? We have a shot at helping kids all over the country and all over the world by leaving our message of resistance against abuse!" Nana said with a slightly offended tone. "I'm not questioning your cause. I'm bringing up my sister, here. She is only 7 years old and still pretty innocent. She has never heard of kids living in abusive homes. She's a kind-hearted girl…both of us were raised to have a lot of compassion for others. I credit my dad for his good-heartedness rubbing off on us…all of us." "And that is why we came to you. Not just because you could do so much with innovative thinking like him…but because you have his heart. It's your hearts of gold that attract…I mean…''inspire'' us to be more like you. That, and we know you'd wanna help anyone in need. That's what your dad has done for years…and still does." "I know what my dad does…and I know what you mean. This just bothers me because no little 7-year-old needs to know about this kind of…you know what I mean." Nana looked down at her lap, taking a deep breath before saying "I know…I know…none of us should've had to go through it…no child…should… …have t-…" She broke down in tears again, face in her hands. Chris scooted over on the couch and embraced her in yet another loving hug that made her melt in his lap, making him blush. She got up and said "thank you… …that's why I admire you so much…because you have your heart in the right place…same with your sister." Chris, clearing his throat and trying to lose his blush, said "well…I'm not happy with the idea of getting my sister involved…but you need a lot of aid to make any plans of yours work. And while we're here…what are your plans…?" After taking off a boot and rolling up a pant leg, Nana sniffed before injecting herself with a medicine-filled hypo in her thigh, cringing in pain while taking a short, sharp breath before sighing in relief. "Well…after I founded this group, and we had our own numbers, we all contacted people we knew online and helped them start their own groups across the country. We're just the first group of runaways. And what we'd been planning to do was to first try and do this civilly. The problem is…all these police and law enforcement officers have managed to track down and retake some of our members from all over. Our growth rates have been faster…but still. We've been on the run a lot, ourselves. We've nearly lost a couple of ours a few times already…I guess what we're kinda also asking for is…protection. It'd show that the great Phineas Flynn himself supports this. And you know how big things are when big-time celebrities endorse them." "Uh…yeah, I gotcha. So what you're asking is for us to hide you while we help you get your message out to the masses. How did you intend to do that?" "Well…we prefer to avoid brutality…it's even in our oath." "You have an oath? Makes you guys sound like some kind of secret society or something…" "That's because we kinda are…we're just one made of up runaways. But anyway...for this to be big enough, we'd all have to show ourselves in broad daylight and announce ourselves. Yes, the plan is that the police and other authorities try to arrest us and hold us somewhere while they do all their legal crap. What we need is combat supplies and resources. And quite frankly…what thievery we've had to resort to hasn't been enough." "So you're asking us to go with you guys and have them try to arrest you…and we prepare some kind of mass rebellion to prove your point so that you can get on the news and send your message global?" "Mostly. We have to make this massive…like, something that Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz himself would try to do back in his younger days." "You know he's good now, right?" "Yeah…that's why I said back in his younger days…" "Sorry." "It's fine. But I assume you get the point. We'll need your dad to endorse this resistance and get his message to every home… to send a message to all bad parents that their sins will not go without notice…that we will rise up against that domestic violence…abuse…neglect…and outright uncaring bigotry! We will not go unnoticed in our suffering! We will…!" Nana looked around awkwardly, checking to see if anyone was outside the window door or around in general. "I'm sorry…maybe you need to know my full story. Only if you're fine with it." Chris looked uneasy for a while, saying "I wouldn't wanna make you hurt yourself trying to spill your heart out to some stranger you've barely met." "It's fine…I trust you with my entire being." She scooted close to Chris' face, saying "I trust you with my life…and all our lives." Chris blushed hard, obviously nervous from a number of reasons. "Well…" he said scratching the back of his neck as he began to feel the sweat forming in his hair and on his back. "I'm not sure…if this would help, but… …" "But what?" "I don't know…how to say it…" "Then put it in action. Let your body do the talking. Just…" Chris gave her a kiss on the cheek. She froze with a hard blush. The two just stayed silent for a while, looking into each other's eyes in a deep gaze that rendered them both motionless. After a minute or so, they both shook out of it as Nana started "uh…I don't…totally remember where…we left off." "You were…gonna tell me your life story, if I remember." Nana took a deep sigh before she began to speak. "Well…I already told you that my mom did drugs while she was pregnant with me…which is why I'm as sickly and anxious as I am…and we live up in Oklahoma, by the way…Well, my mom hated me and my younger sister…treated us worse than dirt…we even saved up money for a long time to get her a nice ring…she turned around and sold that ring for more drug money…''that same day''…" Nana began to sorrowfully tear up, her eyes already red from earlier. Chris hugged her again, softly stroking her back to calm her down as she melted into his arms, her weight a bit difficult to bear, given her 3-year advantage in age. She sat up again, cleared her throat, and continued. "Well…my mom was eventually put behind bars for life…and my dad was arrested sometime later…so my grandparents fought to get custody of us – and they did. But they're perfectionists…I can never tell what they want from me…and they have never given me a genuine 'well done' or 'congratulations'…all I get is being beaten down with their words…and sometimes their hands…I wanna be an artist, and they hate that…my whole family's athletic, and they want me to be like that. But I refuse. They look down upon me even more for that. They distrust me, are never satisfied, and always see things as being my fault…or that I'm too lazy…in fact, one time in church, my grandma dragged me up to the front…''when the pastor was speaking''…and had him talk to me about forgiving my mom…''right in front of everyone!'' Can you imagine how embarrassing that was…?!" Chris was left speechless, never aware that anyone could have a life this bad in their childhood in the modern era (2038, or the late 2030's in general, mind you). "All this and my sister's gotten herself...you know…with her boyfriend…and she's addicted to it, too. And it's barely now cost her…if you know what I mean." Chris was horrified, his breathing now heavy and his fists now clenched as he almost had to gasp for air to keep his sanity. "So, you see…Chris…where I come from. And I haven't even mentioned the nightmares and hallucinations, either." Chris suddenly gasped out "PLEASE DON'T! I can't bear any more of this!" He continued to gasp for air as sweat began to fall down his head, neck, and back. "I get why you don't want your sister involved. I mean, if it almost traumatized you…your sister would be scarred for life. I'm sorry for not totally feeling you there. I'm…sorry." Chris had spaced out at the wall, broken out of his trance after Nana had started speaking again. He slowly turned his head to her and said (with some exasperation) "it's fine…I can't exactly expect you to…''not'' be in total desperation. Again, I feel very…''very'' sorry for all of you. Sigh…my heart goes out to all of you… … …especially you…" Nana blushed as hard Chris did, both peering into each other's eyes. Both felt their hands reach out from their laps and find each other's in between each other on the couch, their fingers intertwining. "Everyone thinks…that I can hold my own…" said Nana. "And no guy's wanted me for anything more than my body…never for who I am…and some girls will deny this…it'll sound cliché, but…we all want a knight in shining armor to rescue us from the dragon…" She began to hesitate as her face and Chris' were less than a foot away. They stayed frozen in time, both peering into the windows to each other's souls…Chris finding sorrow and pain in Nana…Nana finding a giant heart of gold in Chris…"Christopher Flynn…will you help us…?" Chris, whose heart bled for this teenage girl, answered a simple "I will." The two slowly moved their faces closer until they could feel each other's soft breaths on each other's faces. "Thank you…" said Nana as she leaned in with Chris, who placed his lips on hers in a soft, warmhearted kiss. She let a mix of joy and pain flow freely from her eyes as she took in every moment of this kind of affection…a genuine one she had never before experienced… Chapter 4: Going In '' The Streets of Danville, 4:00 PM… It was a typical late summer afternoon…rush-hour traffic of people trying to get home, people walking between businesses for daily life's purposes, and so forth. While daily life went on its usual way, children and teens climbed, jumped, and otherwise snuck around in ninja suits, completely unnoticed by the general public. Once all in place, Nana fired her flare gun, and Chris activated nanobot launchers placed all over Danville with a single button press. Clouds of trillions of nanobots filled the skies, forming clusters, which eventually became groups of what seemed like letters. After a minute of formation, a message visible for miles became clear: Survivors in Danville. Arrest Attempts Futile.'' Amid crowds of people gathering outside from the stores, restaurants, and homes, the youth remained unnoticed, letting their ninja suits do the work of keeping them concealed for them. Within minutes, news crews clustered in every crowded part of the neighborhoods, streets, and parks, all reporting the "cryptic and ominous phenomenon in the skies" that "may spell out danger for all the citizens of Danville." Police cars came driving in, both local and state divisions, all armed and ready for whatever more could come their way. Once the commotion of the city was at the right level and the attention of the citizens and the law were as great as they were gonna get, Chris gave the signal to Survivor member Dakota, who fired a cannon that sent thousands of projectiles into the skies from the center of the apartment complex that used to hold Doofenshmirtz Evil, Inc. back in the day. They all released a black smoke into the air that blanketed the entire center of Danville, emphasizing the glow of the nanobot legions with their contrasting cloud-like cover or darkness. While everyone's attention was drawn to the skies, The Survivors silently moved onto the streets as a group, all deactivating the suits' evasion modes and removing their hoods. Once all were together in the middle of the street, Survivor member Annika activated a large blue shield to encompass them. There they stood, waiting as all the news crews flooded around with local and state police trying to get through the congested lines of traffic and people. Chris, Erica, and their friends remained in hiding, ready to execute the next moves of the plan. Over megaphones, police chief John McFadden said "this is the Tri-State Police Department. Lower your defenses and be civil about this. We won't give you any trouble if you just cooperate here. We're not the bad guys and we won't put any of you behind bars in any way if you just come along." "Not on your life, sir!" yelled Nana as she fiercely glowered at the chief. "I'm not about to give myself up to you and your men willingly! I do that, and none of these kids will get any better lives or futures! I do that, and we'll all be at the mercy of the law, which doesn't let most of us choose our custodies, even when we have the worst of parents and guardians with no way to escape their abuse!" "I'm just here to keep the peace and order in this city! And if you cooperate, we can avoid any unnecessary confrontation and all go home in one piece! Resisting the cops will always take you farther than you really wanted to go…" "Alright, shut up, man! I'm not about to subject myself and my friends here to the same misery they all faced at home. We all intend to make our voices heard throughout the country and the world about child abuse and neglect, and it's not about to stop here! Use force by all means, sir…we're more than ready." Now convinced that he couldn't reason with this band of renegades, Chief McFadden turned to his officers with orders. "Alright, men…fire on this shield of theirs, prepare to phase the older ones, and ready dispatches city-wide to detain the little ones." Instantly, a barrage of bullets was sent at the shield, targeted at the top, so as to avoid hitting the children surrounded by it. The shield held, partially dissolving the projectiles before shattering them and ricocheting their remnants. Within the minutes of these occurrences, Chris, Erica, and their friends prepared the mass resistance for when the shield was to fail. Just then, Chris realized he had 3 missed calls from his dad; all the kids had to tell their parents that they were going to the park so that they could leave their houses without being suspicious, and many of them also realized that they too had missed calls on their silenced phones. Eventually, however, it didn't even matter to them at all – they were ready to help the ones with no voices, who had been under oppression for years, and had come to them for help. Chris had readied all of his dad's old inventions for use, keeping them cloaked and hidden nearby. From inside the shield, which was beginning to weaken, Nana tapped a "borrowed" commbadge, saying "Prime to Offspring: Scorpion." Chris and his friends got into position at their assigned vehicles or machines, decloaking them and turning them on. "Prime to Offspring: Sting…" With that, Nana and The Survivors activated a newer combat mode on their ninja suits and fled every which way. Police took off after the youth, armed with phase pistols to make the delinquents succumb to the law. Soon, tree house robots, superheroes, robotic bulls, and a whole menagerie of other forces came out of hiding, now diverting the attention from the Survivors to themselves. "Fire on 'em, men! Fire at will!" yelled Chief McFadden. Phased energy blasts and bullets riddled the inventions (the people in the "Beak" suits were only shot at with phased stun blasts, so as not to kill them while disabling their jetpacks). The Survivors came back out of hiding to take down police officers and then retreat into the shadows. Within an hour, TerraFleet security had to come in via shuttlecraft to aid in stopping the chaos. Security guards and officers ran through the streets with phaser assault rifles, all set to stun. As the fighting got intense, Nana signaled everyone to activate the stealth mode of the suits, immediately sending everyone into hiding from the eyes of earth and space security. "Alright, people," said Chris to everyone. "We're gonna have to start Phase 'B.'" "Sounds good" said Survivor Minh Cheung, as her sister (Linh) began Phase "B" with a single button press on a remote… Chapter 5: Phase "B" '' Flynn Backyard…'' "What's goin' on here?! Izzy!" Isabella dashed out, the great and once-mighty USS Phineas flying off without warning. "It looks like it's heading for the center of Danville, where that uprising's going on… …Phineas, I think we have a problem. Only Chris and Erica know where The Vault is…and I haven't seen Tommy around." "And they haven't returned our calls, either…Izzy…I think it's time for us to get involved here. Either our kids are in trouble…''or they're gonna be''…" said Phineas, first in fear, and then in near-anger. He and Isabella went back inside and got into their field uniforms, getting into the Archimedes, which Phineas summoned from the orbiting ''Phineas''-A in spacedock. They flew off as quickly as the shuttle could take them to the center of town, where they found the original Phineas hovering above all the major buildings of Danville. ---- On the Ground… The Survivors were beamed up, along with Chris, Erica, and their friends. The inventions then automatically walked or flew off towards the Flynn house while the original Phineas remained in the sky. From speakers on the Phineas' underside, Nana spoke. "You all done down there? I told you we're not givin' up this cause, and I intend to make damn sure we won't lose! Wanna try and get us? Then go right on ahead! Chase us on up to space if you have to! Nana Flores out!" With that, the Phineas rose ever-skyward, breaching the atmosphere in less than a minute. "Captain, we've got TerraFleet starships comin' after us!" said Michelle Van Stomm from the tactical console. "Engage cloak!" In seconds, tachyon and neutrino emitters made the ship almost entirely invisible, both to the eye and to scanners. Only a slight distortion could be seen, which even then vanished from view as the craft soared off like an eagle. "Shouldn't we just warp off somewhere?" asked Erica, who just replaced Tommy at the helm. Just as she finished speaking, phaser beams zooming nearby the cloaked Phineas shook people on all 5 decks. "You know we'll have to drop the cloak to do that, Erica!" "Maybe we should try…reasoning with them?" suggested Annie Brown from the Communications console. Just then, the ship was rocked by another nearby phaser skim. "They just gave us their answer!" said Thomas Leyva, his sister Amanda saying "And we didn't even have to ask!" Chris nervously said "continue course, then. Just take us through the solar system as far as they'll chase us." "You all know they can roughly scan us while cloaked, right?" asked Jonathan at the Science console. "Nice of you to remind us, man!" said Victoria Fletcher as the ship was rocked with an actual torpedo hit. "They've found us!" "Remodulating…!" An actual phaser hit rocked the ship again. "Shields at 97%, Chris!" said Michelle. "You wanna try talking with them now?!" asked Amanda. "Don't rub it in…" said a defeated Annie. "We've gotta warp out of here, Chris!" said Lauren Im. "We do, and the cloak drops for 5 seconds – an eternity for them to hit us!" As the little ship was rocked more and more, Chris said "Helm: Warp 3, going in solar orbit!" Michelle and Erica obeyed, dropping the cloak while powering up the warp nacelles. As the nacelles hummed and powered up, the ship was hit from behind by phaser and torpedo time and time again. "Shields at 63%!" said Michelle. From the Captain's chair, Chris said "Hold on! We're…! Gonna…! MAKE IT!" The Phineas shot off, its engineering sector a mess with Samir Rai running frantically around trying to stop leaks and patch up broken components. "Samir to bridge: I could really use an engineering team down here!" "Xavier, Fred, Victoria, Tommy, and all of you others not at a station: see if you can't help poor Samir down there. Our guests stay on the bridge." "Another thing, Captain - if we want to be able to continue at Warp 3, you're going to have to drop the cloak for maximum efficiency! We'll burn our own selves up if we don't!" Chris rubbed his face in frustration, saying "I guess…Michelle, drop the cloak." "Alright…" she said in frustration. "They all just went to warp…" she said grimly. "They're gonna outrun us" said Erica at the helm. Chris just sat back in his chair, looking over at Nana, who looked at him with great worry. "I'm…sorry, Nana… …I honestly wish we could do more." "I appreciate it, Chris. You've shown me that people can care enough to stand up for us." She walked over to his chair, knelt down at his left side, and placed her hand on top of his, looking directly into the eyes of her protector and friend. "Whatever happens, Nana…I won't stop trying." Their fingers intertwined, and they placed their other hands on top, almost as if they could protect each other with their willpower alone. "Captain, the USS Redemption is passing the other ships in warp" said Erica at the helm. "We're being hailed, Chris. It's the Captain of the Redemption." "Onscreen." The friendly face of Captain Rebecca Fossey appeared. "Christopher Flynn…how may we be of assistance?" The whole bridge crew was stunned. "Assistance?" "I've housed Survivors before. I know their cause, and I was brought up in an abusive home, myself. I side with them." "But you know that by helping us, you're defying TerraFleet orders, right?" "Forget TerraFleet orders. I'm fighting for those who can't fight for themselves as well as grown men and women can." "At this point, ma'am…''any'' help is totally welcome." "Let's get to work, then. Fossey out." As the viewscreen went back to the forward view of zooming stars, Michelle watched her tactical display with amazement. "Chris! The Redemption is attacking other TerraFleet vessels! Some of them are dropping out of warp!" "Perfect." "Sir, half of the group is dropping out of warp and dealing with the Redemption" said Erica in relief. She all of a sudden got worried again, saying "the others are right on our tail, Chris!" Torpedo and phaser hit shook the ship as its pursuers slowly crept closer and closer to it. "We're dropping out of warp! Shields at 43%!" "We can't keep this up forever" said Chris as he contacted engineering. "Chris to all hands: prepare yourselves for hand-to-hand combat." Chapter 6: Heart-to-Heart As the crewmembers all armed themselves with blasters and turned their ninja suits to combat mode, a mood of foreboding passed over the entire ship, reminding everyone of how tiny it was, as well as how greatly outdated its technology was. A ship exactly 30 years old and that had only been through a few major engagements was no match for modern TerraFleet vessels. Even though there were Flynn-Class starships in TerraFleet, they all had the most up-to-date technology, weapons, and systems. Everyone knew how ill-matched this 30-year-old prototype originally intended for play was. In the midst of all this thinking, a hail alert sounded off. "Chris…it's your dad's ship calling us." Chris was struck with mortal terror, as he had never once in his life done anything to sneak away from parental authority on a scale this massive, cause this much collateral damage, and create this huge a scene. After a couple of gulps, the sweat-covered and frightened preteen came forward and said "onscreen." The smiling face of Captain Phineas Flynn, the TerraFleet Commander who had rejected the title of Admiral, and oversaw the Flynn-Fletcher Academy and all its affiliated research and invention facilities and related companies, took everyone on the bridge by complete surprise. "Well, Chris…Erica…I see you've all gotten yourselves in a real jam here. The Phineas-A is here to help. We should be coming into visual range for you about…now." Sure enough, the Phineas-A had dropped out of warp and was cruising in to where the Phineas was. The other TerraFleet vessels facing the old Phineas allowed for their flagship to go through. It came through the lines, stopped, and turned to face the opposing fleet, raising its shields. ---- USS Phineas-A'' Bridge…'' "Isabella, hail the fleet. Tell them…that we're not going to detain these renegade juveniles. Anyone who attempts to take any of these 'Survivors' or our children by force will answer to me." "Yes, sir" said Isabella happily. "The fleet's responded, sir. A lot of them aren't exactly happy with your decision." "Let them. Give my order for them to turn around and head back to earth. We'll meet with them there." "Aye, sir." "After that, contact the Phineas; I'd say it's time we make give them all a heart-to-heart talk." ---- The parents Phineas and Isabella, Ferb and Vanessa, Baljeet and Ginger, Buford and Adyson, Irving and Katie, Django and Milly, Peter and Gretchen, and Geon and Holly were now aboard the old Phineas, all of them remembering their adventures on it as children (except for Django, Peter, and Geon). They all went to the bridge, meeting with their children, warmly hugging them, and feeling relieved that this was as far as it was going to go. Nana and The Survivors were all touched by this affection that they scarcely or never knew at home. After a brief time of loving on his children, Phineas walked into the center of the bridge, looking around in marvel at the good condition of the starship he unofficially commanded in his youth. He looked down at The Survivors, noticing their jealousy and pain at the sight of loving parents. "Which one of you is the Nana Flores?" Nana slowly stood up, shyly at first, but then with increasing confidence. "I am, sir." "You caused quite a ruckus down there today…using my old inventions…taking our old starship without warning…sending TerraFleet into a panic, one the ground and in space…you're quite the bold leader – and a good example of determination." "Tell me this isn't gonna end with us behind bars or ending up back in the custody of cruel family members…" "Oh, no" said Phineas. "I'm not going to subject you to any more suffering. I'll help you all with the law and putting you into the custodies of your choosing. You've all deserved better…and I'll see to it that you all get better." Nana couldn't help but cry at these kind words of the great man whom she had strived to reach. She walked over to Chris, holding both of his shoulders, and looked him in the eye. "We did it" she said softly before placing her lips on his. It took him by surprise, but he soon kissed back. Everyone around just awkwardly walked or looked away. "You sure I'm not too old for ya?" "No…no, you're not" said Chris as they ended up in each other's loving embraces. "So, did my awesome son find himself a girl in all this?" The two, holding each other's hands and smiling, nodded. "Well, I guess we Flynns always had it in us to get the best of the girls" said Phineas, sneakily reaching his hand around Isabella, making her blush as they were hip-to-hip. "Chris, looks like you made a good pick – a young woman of good principle. A God-fearing one, I'm wondering?" "Yes, sir" replied Nana. "Even better…Chris, Erica, despite all the mess, I've gotta say I'm proud of you for taking a stand that few others would have - you and your friends. You all really shined today in courage and determination – whether or not everyone else down there will acknowledge that. You, in goodhearted selflessness, risked quite a lot to give these kids the voice they never had. Many other kids don't know that they have a voice against this kind of injustice, and many don't have the means to make a difference quite like this one. Yes, you're all gonna have to help with the cleanup, but there won't be any legal trouble for any of you. That, and I'm gonna give a speech tomorrow about your new friends' cause. They'll also have a chance to give their testimonies. The whole world needs to know what happened here today." All youth smiled warmly in knowing that everything was going to be fine after all. "Let's got home, then" said Phineas. "The starships Phineas side-by-side…father and son commanding both. Now that's something I never thought I'd see." Chris warmly smirked, taking his seat yet again as his father's crew gathered together in the back. "Flynn to Phineas: 16 to beam up. Energize." The parents were all beamed away together. "Chris, I've got a message from their ship" said Annie. "Onscreen." "Well, son…wanna take a stroll around the solar system before we go?" asked Phineas. With a smile, Chris said "We'll pass, dad. It's been a long day for all of us. I think the guys here need some rest." "Alright. The weary travelers are always welcome in our home." Nana stepped forward, saying "thank you…sir. You have no idea what this means to us…to me…this is unlike an…(sniffle)…anything I've ever experienced before." "Our pleasure and my honor, Ms. Flores. We'll see you all back home. Take your time. Flynn out." The Phineas-A turned towards earth and warped off. "Erica: Warp 1. Let's just cruise it." "Of course, Chris." The Phineas turned around and shot homeward, its occupants more than ready for much-deserved rest in the hospitality of goodhearted parents. Chapter 7: Testimonies * Degree of reader discretion advised * TerraFleet Command Grand Speech Auditorium… "Welcome to all officers…enlisted men…allied species…juvenile guests. And thank you to all the people sitting at home and tuning in to this speech from all corners of the globe. As was reported in the news just yesterday, a group of several youth, ranging from 9 to 15 years of age, put themselves out in the middle of Danville in the mid-afternoon, provoking the police to detain them if they could. Now, I know that they're still not happy that the law is in favor of these youth, who are now our honored guests here today, but there it must be noted that these kids had a good cause to fight for, and the determination to make their marks with the help of my children, and now, myself. My children took old childhood inventions of mine, used them to avoid the arms of police and TerraFleet officers, and made the presence of 'The Survivors" in Danville known. These platitudes aside, it is the cause of these youth known as 'The Survivors' that I wish to discuss. These children grow up in homes you would think to have vanished almost in their entirety in nature – homes where abuse and neglect are everyday fears these youth must face with little to no hope for any change. Without further ado, I would like for each 'Survivor' to give their testimonies in brief. We shall start with Adil Yanishev." Adil walked from the front row up to the podium, the audience falling silent and entirely attentive. "I am Adil Yanishev, still somewhat new student to this country. I am 12 years old. I was born with Autism. My father beats me all the time. I have not slept without fear for years. After mother died, that was when he became alcoholic. He drank to take away his pain, but only got worse. He is why I now have a scar on my eye. He is who I ran away from to join The Survivors. They found me wandering on the far east side of town…were kind to me, said kind things, and told me to follow them if I wanted better. And here I am." Little Sean Thomson was next to speak, fearfully coming up to the podium when his turn came. "I'm…Sean Thomson. I am 9 years old. I h-have…Tourette's…my parents left me home alone s…" he began to break up, before resuming "so many times. They do drugs, beat me up, and…" He was close to breaking down crying, when Nana came up from the front row and put her hand on his shoulder. "Mom and dad have done…terrible things to me. They don't know what they're doing when they do it, but they…touch me and do things to me even when I s-scream f-or them to stop…I was rescued by our founder, Nana Flores…I was the first she rescued…and now, there's lots more of us…" Nana brought him back to his seat in tears, comforting him the whole way. The two sisters, Minh and Linh Cheung, walked up to the podium together. "I'm Minh Cheung…15 years old." "I'm her sister, Linh. I'm 10. My sister has anxiety, so I'll talk for her. We lived with our uncle, who started drinking after our aunt died. He leaves us at home alone a lot. He expects us to do everything exactly how he wants it. I think the word is…perfectionist. That's what he is. He wants us to be perfect all the time. Minh talked to people on the internet a lot, and found out about The Survivors. They came by one night, and she took me with her in the rescue." Annika Jones went up as soon as Minh and Linh left the floor. "I'm Annika Jones. I'm 13 years old. In my house, I have 4 brothers, and my parents expect me to help keep them all in order. They swear at me, tell me I'm ugly, that I'll never be anything gr…" she swallowed hard. "…great in life. For no reason, they always suspect me. They're perfectionists, so they think I'm just a lazy teen that has no work ethic, and they're never happy with what I am or do. I wanna be a basketball player, but they don't think I'll ever be able to do that. I run off at night a lot just to go clear my head, and these others found me sitting in a ditch…crying…they gave me a way to escape and go with them, so I did. And here I am today." Dakota Patterson soon followed, a gravely serious look shown on his face. "Well…I'm Dakota Patterson, 11 years old. Some of you might know my dad, Lieutenant Commander Mark Patterson, from the USS Constantine. He's not all he appears to be. I've grown up with anger management problems, so I blow up easily when people bug me. For no reason, my parents decided to never look for professional help for me. They figured I could just grow out of it and 'grow up.' Whenever I tried to fight my dad…he always…beat me up just to put me out of it. I've still wanted to work with Flynn-Fletcher research groups, but having a dad like mine…has really made it hard…to have any self-esteem. I just ran off one day to nowhere, ending up under a bridge, where I hid for 2 days with hardly any food or clean water. I woke up on the last day and found about three of these other guys there, all with food, water, and medicine. They took me with them…had no name yet, but I just went with 'em. And here I am." "I'm Jaime Villanueva, from Laredo, Texas. I'm 14. My parents drank all the time…and my mom even drank when she was pregnant with me. I was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. I was treated right away, but I'm still kinda mentally…retarded. I mean, you can just kinda tell by how I talk…" Jaime said ashamedly, before continuing, "my dad killed people all the time after he got drunk, and his friends would always get him away. He also raped many girls, always getting away from those, too. When he was caught, he was put in prison for life. My mom yells at me, beats me, and never lets me go to bed without being afraid. She just laughs at me wanting to be a singer, too. My rescue was close. I had already planned with Nana, our founder, to be rescued at night. When I was sneaking out that night, my mom followed behind and called the cops; we almost didn't get away. But we did. And now, I'm here with all these guys…my friends." He left the stage in light tears. "And now, for the founder, creator, and bravest of all of these youth, who endured so much in life and in rescuing all of these others, Nana Flores. Now, personally, I could not imagine that she endured what she had when I first heard her story last night. It took a lot of bravery to run away, but even more to gather together a group of like-minded kids who had gone through similar abuse, neglect, and hardships under the fist, or fists, of cruel parents or guardians. Yes, she stole a lot of equipment, managed to establish a base of operations, and implement our modern technology into it. It's very rare to see that kind of determination to help others and eventually get a message across to the world. I now call her up to the podium to give her testimony. Let's all give her a great round of applause, ladies and gentlemen." Nana stood up, straightening her t-shirt, and slowly walked up the stairs from her front-row seat, the entire auditorium applauding. She scratched the back of her neck as she prepared for what she was about to do – something that required her to face her anxieties and fears face-to-face. As the applause died down, Nana tapped the microphone, nervously starting with "I wish I was better-dressed for this…" The auditorium was filled with soft laughter before quickly growing quiet again. "My life's been the worst out of all of ours. My mom did drugs all the time, and I was born high. Me and my sister were taken from our parents when I was about 6, and were put to live with our grandma and grandpa. They're bitter and old, and total perfectionists with me. Any time I rest, they call me lazy and tell me to get up and do something. I can't even sit down to eat without the same risk! They tell me to have a social life, but never let me hang out with what few friends I do have; and yet, my sister can go and hang out with her friends whenever she wants! They think I'll never be anything great in the future; everyone in my family's been at least a bit athletic, but I prefer drawing. My grandma has been totally rotten with me about everything, thinking that the only reason I'm depressed is because 'I haven't forgiven my mom' yet! She even dragged me to the front of church and had the pastor talk to me about forgiveness…''in front of everyone!" Nana began pant some, her eyes getting watery as well; she pulled out a hypo, injecting herself in the arm with it, to the shock of the entire audience, before continuing. "My sister's done…things with her boyfriend…and even got herself pregnant. The twins died in a miscarriage. That whole incident only made my grandparents distrust me more. They think I'm some typical, lazy, selfish teen that never does anything…and if my sister did ''that, what else would they expect from me, an older teen? I said earlier that I get sick easily and that it hits harder than it should. They're never quick to get me medical care when I need it…even when I've gotten very sick and been unable to get through a day. When they finally do, it's always with a bad attitude. Dentist, doctor, and even hospital…they've been rotten about taking me to them and doing all of those things for me. We live far from the bigger cities…I'm out in Oklahoma, in the middle of nowhere, and it takes an hour at the very least to get to where I need to be just to stay alive and healthy. And even the few times I've seen my mom, she's been totally hateful to me and my sister. Years ago, before she was put in jail, we saved up money together to buy her a really nice and expensive ring…" Nana began to tear up again, violently shaking her head and clearing her throat before continuing, "…''and she sold it the same day for drug money." She then broke down crying where she stood, leaning over, with head in her hands. Chris ran up from his front-row seat and hugged her tightly, almost for dear life. She knelt down and hugged him back as he knelt down with her. For nearly two minutes, the two stayed that way, many in the audience crying, themselves. Before getting back up, he gave her a brief kiss on the lips, which helped her get back to her more coherent state of being. "This (cough) is only the tip of the iceberg. It would take me all day to give it all out, but now you know the basics. Running away, stealing what I did to survive, rescuing others, and eventually building a base with stolen technology and resources are all long stories on their own. Here's where I wanted to get…and here's where I arrived. Now you know where we all come from, and I urge you all to bear in mind how you treat your children. I'm no parent, and I'm no judge. I can't take your kids away from you, and there aren't always laws in every state that allow for kids to seek justice easily. But be advised that my group is not to be totally dismantled, and neither will other Survivor groups around the world. This may be a great victory, but we're gonna keep helping other kids all around the globe for as long as we can, letting them know that they have the power to make their voices heard. That's our goal now. Captain Flynn here will help us take care of the legal side of our lives – choosing custody of a different family member or being put into foster care, but he's now gonna help us speak out against child abuse and neglect whenever he can. I sincerely thank all of you…for listening to us and our stories… … …God bless." During the applause, Nana went to sit down while Phineas Flynn himself went back to the podium at the front, ready to give his portion of the speech… Chapter 8: All Good Things... (One Week Later) ''Flynn Household, 5:00 PM… "I can't thank you all enough. You've given all of us a new hope for the future, and now we can rest assured that we will all be treated with dignity and respect. Everyone's ready to go now, so I'm just gonna see them off" said Nana. Little Sean was the first to come forward, his little 9-year-old face with a teary smile. "Thank you, Sean. It was an honor to have you as the first person I rescued, and a loyal member of The Survivors. We'll still see each other around, so is no goodbye. You'll know what to do when that alarm rings off…fight." "I'll be ready, Nana. Can't wait to see you next time that happens." "Can't wait 'till then, either. Just step into the transporter when you're ready." After hugging Chris and his friends, he walked to the transporter, soon to take him to his new foster parents. "I'll see you guys soon…thank you." After a pause, he nodded, Phineas activating the transporter and beaming him away. Just as his dematerialization was beginning, he gave a small wave before disappearing into the matter stream, bringing a tear to the eyes of many. "I'm ready. No emotional stuff, please. I just wanna get myself to my aunt's house and finally get some respect…" said Dakota. "Oh, no you don't" said Nana as she surprised him with a hug from behind. He just dropped his shoulders where he was, exhaling in partial impatience. "Fine…I'm gonna miss all you guys, too…I'll sure as heck be there when I'm needed. May The Survivors live on, and all that stuff. Ugh…better get out of here before I break down in tears…" he said as he walked right into the transporter. "See you all around. Aunt Emily, here I come" he said just before being beamed away. "Well, Annika…I'm sure gonna miss you. I hope you do grow up to become a great basketball player. And now, you've got foster parents who will support you in that dream. Take care. Oh, and try to be there whenever you can for emergency meetings. We could sure use your athletic skills. It was an honor serving with you." "No, Nana…the honor was mine." Annika cried as she hugged Nana tightly, never wanting it to end, even though this was by no means the last time they would meet. "Take care of yourself, Nana. Good luck, girl." "God bless…Annika." She walked away, saluting Nana, who saluted back just before she was beamed away. "Adil…you had the choice between family members in Russia, Turkey, and here, and you chose America. Why?" "Because I love how free it is. Even now, the laws in other counties are not as good as the laws here. I wanted to keep my American freedom, now with freedom from being afraid." "Well, you made a good choice, man. Take care." "I will. Anyway, my uncle Grigori is waiting for me. I'll see all of you soon!" With a firm handshake, Adil walked to the transporter and left for Maine. "Jaime…you're smarter than people give you credit for. You've proven your worth to the group…especially to me. I pray you have clear skies ahead." "Thank you…Nana. I have never been told I was smart, or been valued as anything special. You told me different. And now, I can live with my grandma in peace. She's pretty young, so I've got her for some good time." "Well, I hope it all turns out well for you. See you around." The two parted with a hug. "Minh…Linh…good job to the two of you. I know you'll be in good hands." "Thank you, Nana" said Minh. "You gave me reasons to be confident in myself again. I can't thank you enough for that." "And you've made me braver" said little Linh. "Now I know how to fight against the wrong." Chuckling, Nana said "Godspeed to the two of you. I'll see you around the next time we meet as a group." "Long live The Survivors" said Linh, while Minh silently saluted. As the two were transported away, Nana took a deep sigh, closing her eyes as the evening breeze blew through her hair. "Well…" she said, clearing her throat, "looks like I'm the last man…or girl…standing. My time's come." With those words, she began to cry, looking with an endearing smile towards these new friends who had helped her and her friends escape injustice while giving them new hopes and futures to look forward to. "I thank you all…" she said, choking up in her tears. Starting with Chris, they all gave her a group hug that lasted for what seemed an eternity. "I think it's time we made our discreet exit" whispered Isabella to Phineas. "Good idea" he said in return as they walked inside. The tears flowed, the silence being broken by only the sounds of footsteps and sniffles. "Oh, you guys…I don't know what we'd be without you…what I'd be without you…thank you…thank you…thank you…" As the group hug slowly broke up, Chris was the last man standing…or hugging. Starting to laugh, Nana picked up the preteen and jokingly and endearingly cradled him in her arms. "Aren't…we…a little…too old to be doing this…?" "Hmm…NAH!" she said, bending her head down and pecking him on the lips, making him flop like jello. "Let's give these two a moment alone, guys" said Lauren Im, the other preteens just going inside as Nana put Chris down. "Chris…I don't know where I'd be without you and that brain of yours." "Those inventions were my dad's. All I did was find a way to use them." "Well, you still held us together really well – you, your sister, and all your friends. Well… …I think it's pretty apparent that I'm head-over-heels for you, right?" "Yeah…" said Chris, his face blushing and heating up in nervousness. "Me, too" said Chris sheepishly. "I guess I just have more than a heart for people who suffer like you did." "It's a good thing. You're a really sweet guy, Chris. Ever liked other girls before?" "Only one…and that was Annie from my group of friends. That didn't last long. I gotta say that this pick was a much better one." "Aw, why, thank you Chris" she said, kissing his triangular nose. "I can never not be taken by surprise with you, can I?" asked Chris. "Nope. No, you can't." "So, back to Oklahoma, off to live with your aunt…helping her take care of the kids while being in a loving environment free from the abuse of bitter family members?" "Eh…I wouldn't say free, but much less of it around. I can imagine my grandparents won't be happy to have lost out on all of it." "Let them. You'll be truly cared for, Nana. Can I just call you 'Nan'?" "Of course. My parents were actually gonna name me 'Nan' at first…such a weird choice of name, eh?" "It's beautiful either way." "Thanks" she said giggling. Chris absently swung his arms this whole time, eventually landing them on Nana's elbows. Everything suddenly became pure bliss…the sounds of birds in the trees, the breeze in the evening sky, the rustling of leaves… ---- There was little need for words now. The sun shone into their eyes, Nana's becoming a deep brown, Chris' being a sapphire blue. His hands moved from her elbows to her hands. He looked up at her lovingly with an endearing smile, which slowly turned into an amorous stare. Nana looked down at the preteen, eyelids half open as his were, her breathing now deep and slow. They touched noses together, playfully giggling as they played nosey for a second or two. As their smiles faded, they stared into each other's eyes once more, leaning towards each other's faces more and more. The two could now hear and feel each other's soft breathing, eyes nearly closed now… after near paralysis, the two softly touched lips and leaned into each other. This perfect moment in time lasted for what felt like a wonderful eternity of deep joy and fulfillment for the young lovers. People from all around the neighborhood and inside the Flynn house kept their distances and lessened their visibilities to the two to give them the best moment they could have in each other's arms. As they briefly parted lips, Nana said "I love you…Chris Flynn…" before kissing him again. "I love you…Nana Flores…" All was well… The End! Allusions *Transporters (Star Trek) *Ninja suits that have stealth modes to hide the wearer from anyone not wearing one (Phineas and Ferb Season 3 episode "The Quietest Day Ever") *TerraFleet (Starfleet Command and The United Federation of Planets from Star Trek) *The holodeck (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager) *The Flynn-Fletcher Academy (Starfleet Academy from Star Trek) *Protandim, a product of LifeVantage *Nana Flores and her general life story (certain user from this wiki...) *Various older inventions by Phineas and Ferb seen from all Seasons *The namesake of "The Vault" ("The Vault", where Nero had the Narada outfitted with Borg technology by the Tal Shiar in the 2009 Star Trek prequel comic, Star Trek: Countdown) *Warp-powered starships (Star Trek) *Cloaking devices (Star Trek) *Captain Rebecca Fossey's name (certain user from this wiki...) *The Captain's Yacht (Star Trek: Insurrection) *Chapter 8's title (TNG final episode "All Good Things") *Transporters (Star Trek) *Part of the final dialogue between Annika and Nana ("It was an honor serving with you, sir." "No, Number One...the honor was mine." - Picard and Riker at the end of Star Trek Nemesis) Author's Comments *"This was quite an interesting story idea to work with. I know I've done emotional and action-filled stuff plenty before, but this story was a first for me. While I had written Ad Astra 3 to be a bit more sided towards the next-gen children, it still managed to have Chris and his friends upstaged by Phineas and his generation. With this story, I was finally able to make Phineas truly secondary in character, as well as his crew. The stage was all about Chris, his friends, and these new runaways, The Survivors..." *"The Nana Flores character was an interesting one to work with, as well. I based this troubled yet determined teen's life on that of a certain other user on The Phineas and Ferb Fanon Wiki. Literally most of her life's events are those of this loved user. She has been kicked around, talked down to, and condescended in every other way in the book, despite the fact that she was born with physical and mental conditions that warranted compassion and a little extra attention. When you've gotten nothing but crap all your life, something's gonna give... For this case, it's Nana's willingness to be pushed around anymore. She also has empathy for anyone else who shares similar suffering at the hands of uncaring parents or guardians. Take those two, and you've got someone who means business. And yet, she maintains her sofer, more feminine side, not always able to contain her anguish with a straight face." *"The Chris x Nana pairing is my first OC-OC shipping, and I've gotta say that it took off pretty well. Thing is, Chris was raised by the great Phineas Flynn, himself. As such, he was raised to be a great young man of principle and compassion who wants nothing more than to have fun and make things better for people - as a whole, or on a personal level. When he sees the anguish of Nana, his compassion impulse kicks in, sending him to go and comfort the person immediately. As the two trust each other more and get closer, there's obviously gonna be attraction. Chris saw an oppressed girl of great innner beauty, and Nana found someone who would care for her in ways no one else truly had. As Nana put it, many people think that the tougher girls can hold their own in life, never considering that all girls want their knight in shining armor to save them from the dragon. It was an interesting way to make romance a little deeper than the Phinbella fluff of my earliest stories - giving them both purpose." 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